Ronald W. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
515 U.S. 819 · Decided June 29, 1995 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Ronald W. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia was decided on June 29, 1995 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Establishment of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 515 U.S. 819 · 115 S. Ct. 2510 · 132 L. Ed. 2d 700 · 1995 U.S. LEXIS 4461
- Docket number
- 94-329
- Decided
- June 29, 1995
- Argued
- March 1, 1995
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Establishment of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent |
Full case caption
Ronald W. Rosenberger, et al. v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1994-091, docket 1994-091-01.
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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error